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Olds Cutlass W-31 for sale in Texas. Is it real?

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Old Apr 5, 2022 | 12:05 PM
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Olds Cutlass W-31 for sale in Texas. Is it real?

Just saw this 1970 Olds Cutlass W-31 for sale in the Texas Houston area Craigslist. Is this car a real W-31? Anyone know anything about this car?

https://houston.craigslist.org/ctd/d...467337251.html

Old Apr 5, 2022 | 12:28 PM
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Admittedly the angle of the photo cleverly puts the sway bar right in the way, but it doesn't look like it from here...

The weasly-worded ad ("correct" parts, not "original", for example) is also a big red flag.

Old Apr 5, 2022 | 01:05 PM
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Another car that has been floating around for awhile
Alain
red W-31
Old Apr 5, 2022 | 01:15 PM
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Originally Posted by alain
Another car that has been floating around for awhile
Alain
red W-31
Sure has been Alain. There have been a couple threads about it here. 40 grand and you don't even get a heater core? This dealer is the type of dealer that always rubs me the wrong way. Every car they sell is questionable.
Old Apr 5, 2022 | 01:39 PM
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Originally Posted by no1oldsfan
40 grand and you don't even get a heater core?
The car has an aftermarket heater and A/C system under the dash, like a Vintage Air system. Note that there are FOUR hoses that run under the passenger side fender to the firewall - two for A/C and two for the heater. One advantage of the newer aftermarket systems is that they use stepper motors to control the flapper doors, not vacuum, so they are not affected by a low-vacuum cam.






Old Apr 5, 2022 | 01:54 PM
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One interesting thing on that engine photo is that there is no vacuum hose connected to the ram air vacuum motor.
Old Apr 5, 2022 | 02:17 PM
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Originally Posted by 72442conv
One interesting thing on that engine photo is that there is no vacuum hose connected to the ram air vacuum motor.
Yeah, then it just stays open all the time, which is only an issue in cold weather. I don't see the raised OLDSMOBILE lettering on the O.A.I. adapter either.
Old Apr 5, 2022 | 02:51 PM
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I was not familiar with the aftermarket system. Thanks for clueing me in on that.

Like I said in my earlier post. This dealer sells so many questionable cars. Hearing other people here pointing out the other issues that they see just confirms it more and more.

Nice black grilles too by the way. 40 grand...👍🤔

Last edited by no1oldsfan; Apr 5, 2022 at 04:36 PM.
Old Apr 5, 2022 | 03:41 PM
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Yeah the black grilles and the 69 black washer reservoir is a nice touch.
Old Apr 6, 2022 | 01:19 AM
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I don't know if it's the picture but the rear axle seems to be too far forward in the wheelwell for some reason.
Old Apr 6, 2022 | 06:25 AM
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• Comes with original Carb, Camshaft, Gears and Balancer​​​​​​​
Usually this means they're in a box of parts that will be included in the sale. But original to what? That would need further investigation.

My concern is that like any W-car, it would need some legit documentation to back it up. Ad doesn't state this. It does say it comes with "correct aluminum rear end cover". Whatever that means. W27 style? That's rather a silly point to make IMO as W27 wasn't an option that was automatically included with W-cars anyway. OTC cover purchase maybe, but that's from the parts department as a "Day 2" option. Interestingly it wasn't included in the pictures either.

It appears the same place using the same garage to take a video sold this very car last year for $37,500 and I saw another ad it had 3.91 rear gears, not 3.42 like this time around. With Sherman, they're either too much of being knuckleheads not doing any research, or they're just flat out lying about the junk they sell. JMO.
Old Apr 6, 2022 | 07:03 AM
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Originally Posted by 69HO43
It does say it comes with "correct aluminum rear end cover". Whatever that means. W27 style?
Exactly my point. The lawyer-vetted use of "correct", not "original". Frankly, this seller likely couldn't tell the difference between a factory W27 cover and a repro anyway.


Old Apr 6, 2022 | 08:58 AM
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Maybe they just need to retitle it as a "restomod" instead of numbers matching and it will sell for more
Old Apr 6, 2022 | 03:17 PM
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Originally Posted by pettrix
Maybe they just need to retitle it as a "restomod" instead of numbers matching and it will sell for more
AHH-HAA - There you go, LOL!!
Old Apr 6, 2022 | 03:30 PM
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Originally Posted by BackInTheGame
AHH-HAA - There you go, LOL!!
There is truth to that. Listing it as "numbers matching" means you are targeting the purist crowd and they will pick that car apart like a vulture on a decaying roadkill carcass in the desert sun. If you list it as a "restomod" the purists want nothing to do with it but you now have opened up your market area to more people and a younger buyer crowd with more money.

It's happening on Bring a Trailer, Mecum, Craiglist, private party sales, etc. RestoMod cars are bringing in top money, sometimes more than numbers matching OEM cars.

Old Apr 6, 2022 | 04:18 PM
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I see they decided to add the Vintage(?) Air to match up with the A/C dash they installed in the past. Next month they'll add the "S" emblems to the door panels and raise the price to $42900
Old Apr 6, 2022 | 04:33 PM
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Originally Posted by pettrix
There is truth to that. Listing it as "numbers matching" means you are targeting the purist crowd and they will pick that car apart like a vulture on a decaying roadkill carcass in the desert sun. If you list it as a "restomod" the purists want nothing to do with it but you now have opened up your market area to more people and a younger buyer crowd with more money.

It's happening on Bring a Trailer, Mecum, Craiglist, private party sales, etc. RestoMod cars are bringing in top money, sometimes more than numbers matching OEM cars.
^^^ Makes absolute sense!
Old Apr 6, 2022 | 07:44 PM
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Originally Posted by 70W-32
I see they decided to add the Vintage(?) Air to match up with the A/C dash they installed in the past. Next month they'll add the "S" emblems to the door panels and raise the price to $42900
Did you notice the non AC kick panel on the left and the "converted" one on the right?

I don't know why shady car salesmen think they are so smart with plausibly deniable wishy washy language and deliberately built pictures to look honest and forthright but hide things. My favorite is constructing a 67 442 cowl tag pic with the washer hose in front of where the V in the 5th group should be.
Old Apr 8, 2022 | 08:43 AM
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Originally Posted by Koda
My favorite is constructing a 67 442 cowl tag pic with the washer hose in front of where the V in the 5th group should be.
My impression of many, if not most, of these dealers is that they're too ignorant to know this would even be an issue.
Old Apr 9, 2022 | 07:11 AM
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This car has passed hands (dealers) several times over the past two years. One of the previous owners belongs to this forum as he commented on the car before. He said it was originally Silvers with black stripes, and that the quarters were hung with pop rivets. At least this dealer took the time to clean the interior and polish the car - when it was first listed two years ago the interior was covered in dirt and the pain on the trunk and drivers quarter was all hazed
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